The Sound of Your Voice, Only Really Far Away

Gr 5–8—This realistic novel reveals the inner lives of seventh graders negotiating the demands of friends, crushes, and emerging talents. Miriam fights the shallow temptations of popularity, Kate's infatuation with Matthew depletes her sense of self, and Matthew struggles for control of his genuine-but inconsistent-feelings for Kate. The plot hangs loosely on a contest between the cheerleaders and the audio lab for student government funds, but it's the characters who drive the story. They battle their consciences, reflect on the passage of time, and realize that their parents are human beings; they are poignantly bewildered by childhood's retreat. As Kate thinks while pondering the stars one evening, "Life really isn't about fun anymore. It's about bigger things now." The cover will entice children to this breezy story, but the depth of feeling will make them remember it. The third book in the trilogy, The Sound of Your Voice also succeeds on its own.—Denise Ryan, Middlesex Middle School, Darien, CT